The Dragon's Sanctum
by Keiko Oda
Summary: Mikan Sakura, the granddaughter of a lighthouse keeper, is abducted by an infamous crew of pirates! As her life takes a turn on adventure, she discovers that the ship of the Dragon's Sanctum holds a secret only she could unlock. NatsumexMikan
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note:

Hello, everyone! In commemoration of my return here in the Gakuen Alice community, I'm going to start a new chaptered fanfiction. Embarrassingly, I've got other stories to update but then I can't help but launch a new one. Yesterday, one of my best friends and I watched Pirates of the Caribbean and I personally think that it is the best out of all its movies! I was highly inspired to write a fan fiction so I really hope this story is successful and that you guys like it!

Disclaimer:

Everything in the story belongs to me, except for the characters, who were conceived by the genius, Higuchi Tachibana.

**The Dragon's Sanctum**

By Keiko Oda

_Inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean_

_A Gakuen Alice "Pirates" Rendition_

**CHAPTER ONE**

On some nights, when the winds would howl and beat against the window like a cold, savage spirit, I would crawl into my grandfather's bed and ask him for a story to help me get back to sleep. That was how we bonded, Jii-chan – that was what my five year old self used to endear towards him – and I would spend hours on end creating amazing epics on heroes, thieves, kings and queens. He'd light the oil lamp next to his bed and play with shadows, and he'd ask me what story was my favourite, even though he very quite well knew that my answer would never change. It was of the pirates.

I was never scared of Davey Jones, or the See-Reek, or even the Kraken. I told my grandfather that I wanted to catch the mermaids and the sea-serpents, the harpies and the great Zaratan. I'd stand up on the bed, dressed in my pyjamas, pumping my fists into the air while announcing that I was going to braver than Sinbad and Arrow-Odd, and that someday, I was going to be a sailor like my grandpa was, and sail the seven seas and slay all of those menacing pirates. "Captain Hook will be kissing my feet!" I proclaimed, before collapsing beside my papa and finally falling asleep just before sunrise.

That was before, when Jii-chan was still alive. He passed away a few years ago, and I, along with a caretaker, manage the lighthouse I still live in. It stands on the coast of Kasumi, a small town in the district of Hyogo, a prefecture in the island of Kyushu peppered with tiny blue houses and viewing the Sea of Japan. Though steep, craggy cliffs with lush greenery encompass the coast, the coast of Kasumi was once upon a time a port for travel and trade, which made my grandfather's job in his latter days a big task – the keeper of the lighthouse. And I used to sit on the edge of lighthouse, ignoring my grandfather's shrill screams telling me to "Get off the damned railings, Mikan Sakura!"; hoping that one day I could become a pirate.

But that was before. They invented airplanes, trains and cargo ships, and the lighthouse serves no purpose but my home.

"Listen, Cho-sama," I said, one day to my guardian, as I sat down by the hardwood table, sketching a vase of flowers for my art project while she silently swept the floor. "The seagulls are noisy again!"

"They are always noisy," she said brusquely, "Blasted creatures can't get off the stupid porch! Hafta keep –

She never finished her sentences. She was a knobbly, middle-aged woman that didn't like talking much.

But I was bothered by the seagulls. I could see them from the kitchen window, their wings flailing about as if something frightening was about to happen. I put down my charcoal and went out the door, coming to find dozens of them sitting on the porch, their wet, mottled, feet leaving sticky prints everywhere. They stared at me with their curious bird eyes and kept cawing alarmingly.

I remembered how Jii-chan used to tell me that the seagulls brought omens to sailors, oftentimes of surprising news.

"Miss Mikan!" Cho called. When I didn't reply, she came out with her broomstick and started swatting at the birds. "Get outta here, ya stupid animals!"

ooooo

There was not much to say of my grandpa's humble library, a small room across his bedroom, that had only a few dozen books and a musty worktable where he used to pour over his collection of tomes. I didn't read much as a child. I never found any fulfilment in books, only drawings & paintings, which a few of my proudest hung in frames on the sides of Jii-chan's bookcases.

Ever since Jii-chan died I spent a lot of my time in his library. Not reading, but working on my art. I found comfort in the smell of the stale, mildewed pages of his books, or that of the stingy dried-up pots of writing ink. Sometimes, I worked by candlelight only for the sentimental memory of Jii-chan's stories that the electric could never bring.

And as I worked that night, still on the sketch of the flower vase, I sang the pirate song he used to sing to me "_Yo-ho, yo-ho, a pirate's life for me...yo-ho, yo-ho...a pirate's life for me..." _

The entire lighthouse was quiet. I could only hear the faint creaking of metal coming from the roof above, and the soft sound of the wintry waves crashing. The air in the room hung like a dismal wet blanket. I had made sure the shutters were shut and lock so the cold wouldn't come in, but when my eyes glanced at the window, I saw that it had been opened. The curtains were gently swaying in symphony with the wind.

I was not superstitious, but I could've sworn that I had locked those windows.

I stood up and went to lock the casement. As I peered down at the shore, I saw that the seagulls had not left. They were still cawing and flapping stupidly, and pecking at each other's beady eyes.

Once I was done, I turned around to get back to my artwork. To my shock, I found a small monkey sitting on the desk, holding up my sketchbook as if it was studying my drawing. What in the world was a monkey, of all animals, doing in my grandfather's library? I was not certain if I was dreaming, but the monkey's cheeps to itself were undeniably audible.

I stood there, surprised, as the monkey put my sketchbook down and hopped onto the floor and scrambled up to my grandfather's bookshelf. It started pulling out books, each manuscript hitting the floor with a loud Thump!

"Hey!" I shouted, but the monkey simply ignored me. "Hey, what the heck do you think you're doing?"

I grabbed the monkey's tail and, disgusted, threw it to the side of the room. The monkey immediately turned to me with rabid eyes, baring its teeth. I grabbed one of my grandfather's biggest books – Mythologies and Monsters – and held it up like a weapon. I felt like a complete idiot, but this monkey was scaring me. "Cho! Cho-sama!" I shouted, hoping my believe caretaker would come running into the room with her blasphemous broomstick.

"She can't hear you," came an unfamiliar voice from the door. It was a silky, serpentine voice, but when I turned around, there was nobody there.

My hairs were tingling on my skin and my heart slammed against my ribcage in full horsepower. I wanted to retreat, but my body was frozen in place. My eyes darted from one corner of the room to the other, trying to figure out who beheld that voice.

"Sakura Mikan," it spoke up again, "Do you have an idea of what you possess?"

Suddenly, the speaker revealed itself. It was a tall slender man clad in a dark, midnight blue overcoat. On his head of wispy, dark hair sat a black felt cocked hat with deep red lining. His fingers wove around the books like pale serpents fingering through the pages of my grandfather's books, and then affixed a black mask upon his eyes.

What sort of ridiculous horror is this?

"I asked you a question," he slurred, "Are you not mute?"

"Who are you?" I managed to say.

"Ah," he laughed, and then pointed a finger at the chair I was sitting on earlier. It obediently slid behind him as he took a seat and crossed his legs. "So you want to play games now?"

I was beginning to grow ridiculously scared of this man. He looked inhuman with his paper-white skin and glossy sharp teeth. He obviously possessed some sort of power, for I still seemed to be fastened into place.

The man unsheathed a pearl white sword from his side and began stroking it gently. He smiled at me tentatively. "Haven't you always wanted to be a pirate?"

I could not believe my ears.

He laughed at my appalled expression, and I was suddenly freed from my position and pushed, by some invisible force, to the window, which was suddenly unshackled once again. "Behold," he declared.

Standing majestically on the waters of the beach was a massive vessel, its giant, black sails bellowing in the wind. On its sable black hull were marble torches brilliantly aflame with white fire, while its sharp turquoise masts spiralled icily into the cold. There were people on deck, but I could not see them well, as they traversed the quarterdeck and scaled the nettled shrouds. On the figurehead was the sculpture of a silver dragon, glittering under the moonlight in sinister splendour.

I was thrilled and terrified at the same time. I could feel the blood rush through my body as I took in the valiant image of the ship.

All of a sudden, I realized that the mysterious man was no longer beside me, but back by the shelf. He was going through one of my grandfather's books – one I had never seen before, with loose, brown leather binding – looking absolutely distressed. He flipped through the pages rapidly, his expression growing more and more distraught. His hands clenched violently on the book, and he threw it down, almost hitting his pet monkey and in minutes, his hands were clasped around my neck and I could not breathe.

"Where did you put it, wretched child?" He shouted, his voice vibrating across the room, "Where did your thief of a grandfather hide it?"

I felt my body grow numb in fear. "I – I don't know what you're talking about"

He grabbed his sword and pressed against me in the wall, pointing its sharp tip at my neck. His sharp fangs glowered at me. "You liar! Let me ask you one more time! _Where did you put it?_"

Before I had time to make out what he meant, he grabbed me by my collar and shook it violently. He spat at my face, his saliva spewing out like acid "You answer me, girl, or you answer to death!"

All of a sudden, another man appeared in the window. He wore a velveteen feathered hat and a scarlet vest. "Persona, that is enough!"

The blonde man unsheathed a sword and pointed it at him. "Release this girl or you'll have to respond to the Captain"

Persona put down his sword and retreated. For a moment, a rush of relief fell upon my anxious body, but it was only a heartbeat until the baleful pirate took out his mask and glared at me and in that instant, I fell into the other man's arms and blacked out.

**To Be Updated **


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note:

I reply to your reviews through Private Messaging, but thank you to those who reviewed or put this story on Alert just as early as the first chapter!

LittleMissHotti_e_, I'm sorry if you found it boring. I wanted to write a story that was out of the ordinary, and I thought a pirate theme would be challenging to mix with Gakuen Alice! Thank you so much for your support though. If you continue reading, I hope that you'll be able to find some entertainment in it.

**The Dragon's Sanctum**

By Keiko Oda

_Inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean_

_A Gakuen Alice "Pirates" Rendition_

**CHAPTER TWO**

When I woke, a surge of pain pierced through my head like a spear. The ground viciously rocked beneath my body, and cold, muggy air clung to my skin like a damp blanket. I shivered and forced desperate gasps as my hands felt for something to hold onto on the sharp, wooden floorboards. For a minute the vertigo overwhelmed my senses and I could not bring myself to study my surroundings; I felt sick to the stomach and beaten to the deepest of my bones. As I turned my body over, my eyes were hit with a shooting light from a skylight above me. It was daytime.

I stayed unmoving for a few minutes, my mind blacking out in steep intervals. Once I felt a pang of thirst upon my lips, I forced my body to sit up. The room I was in was cold and dim. It was a storage space of some sort – with large, heavy barrels and sacks of food stacked up on every corner, long ropes and giant spools of twine, broken chairs and tables and other discarded luggage. A makeshift mattress out of hay and sawdust was laid for me while I was sleeping, as well as a thin cotton blanket which I had presumably kicked off during the hours of my slumber. I decided that I was not dreaming after I felt a painful tinge of ache on my back. This was absolutely real.

I remembered my previous encounter with the strange man named Persona, with his ghostly body and mystifying aura and that he tried to kill me after pelting me with accusations. I shivered. I was definitely abducted by this – I remembered – pirate, and was, at this very moment, held captive in his ship.

As I surveyed the room some more, noting the pile of mouldy coats and boots all lined up near a giant, double door, I heard several male voices from the deck above the room. They were shouting and ordering each other, telling each other to do this and that, some with strange accents I could not bring myself to understand. But one of them said: "Get the girl already, will ya?" and once again, was frozen stiff in the corner of the room.

In moments, the chains of the door collapsed, as if the invisible force that was holding it was somehow banished, and the door swung open. Light streamed into the room, my vision waning at the brightness. Once my eyes adjusted to the light, I saw several burly, dirty looking men standing by the doorway, with hungry eyes and crooked teeth, and slimy, wet hair. Some of them held pipes, others held mops and rope, but one of them, with golden hair and sky blue eyes, held an attractive debonair as he strode into the room wearing a navy blue overcoat with golden lining, white pants and black leather boots. His right hand was clasped onto a sword at his side, and his left holding onto a cocked hat, similar to that of Persona's.

He stopped at my feet and bowed, and then beckoned one of the men, still standing at the door, to bring in a tray with bread and fish. I grabbed and ate it heartily.

The man – or boy – was no more than eighteen years old, and he stared at me curiously as I ate my meal.

"Miss," he began, "I'd like to offer you a great deal – a comfortable home, all the wealth and treasure you could –

I cut him off. "With all due respect, mister," I said, "I already had all of those until I ended up here in this slum"

He looked nervous, and he crouched in front of me. "They will hurt you," he whispered.

I laughed; my mouth full of fish. "I think I got the point once that weirdo pointed his sword thingie at me"

"But we are just asking for the book," he continued, "If you hand over the book, then..."

"You see," I loved cutting him off, "I don't know this _book _you guys are after. So maybe you got the wrong girl"

At that moment he lost his temper and pinned me to the wall. "You are the granddaughter of a famous buccaneer, do you hear me? You have something that belongs to the Dragon's Sanctum and _we _need it!"

"Y'know, Ruka," I said, seeing a tattoo engraved on the lower side of his neck, "Jii-chan was just a lighthouse keeper, so maybe you should check your criminal records or something because I repeat – I don't know any book you're after! Okay, Mr. Pirate, sir?"

"Yeah, Mr. Pirate, sir, why don't you let go of the little girl?" came a voice from behind.

Ruka turned around, giving me enough view to see the person standing by the doorway. It was another boy, with jet black hair and stunning auburn eyes. He was taller and much more built than Ruka, who now looked embarrassingly demure, and was clad in nothing more but a dirty white t-shirt, brown pants and black leather boots. As I examined his figure more, he had blood dripping from his shirt (though he did not look considerably wounded) and it dripped down from his arms and onto the floor.

"Natsume!" Ruka sounded disbelieving. "What – how in God's name did you get here?"

"I slaughtered your men," he said, cockily, "Guess you need to recruit more barnacles, don't you, pirate?"

"I am not a pirate!" Ruka denied defensively, "I'm an officer of the emperor!"

"That bastard of the government?" Natsume was now walking towards us, flinging his sword carelessly, slicing the barrels and cutting open several sacks, the dry grain spilling out in seconds. "Oh, I forgot that you decided to be..._officially authorized_" he emphasized the words with disgust.

Ruka unsheathed his sword and pointed it to Natsume, who feigned terror. "You idiots think your little butter knives have a match against the poison of a sea-serpent?"

As he uttered those words, I saw that his sword turned deep red, as if somebody had dipped it in blood. In seconds, Ruka was pinned to the wall with the sword against his neck and Natsume staring at him in deep contempt. "Listen closely, captain," I could barely hear his voice, "If you and your bastards try stealing _our _property again, you can be sure I'll have every man in your ship bled out dry"

Ruka closed his eyes, gulped and nodded. I could feel his fear emanate from his body as beads of sweat trickled down his temples.

Natsume rammed his sword through the wall behind Ruka, and to my terror I saw the wooden exterior burst into dark, black flames and quickly eat up the room until I saw what the outside beheld – bloody corpses sprawled all over the deck, bodies eaten up by ravenous, dark fire and swords melted in the sinister heat. The waves rocked violently against the boat, hammering its dilapidated structure like a mad beast. Natsume pulled his sword out and the flames ceased. Ruka opened his eyes, which were welled up with tears. "How dare you kill my innocent crew!"

The dark-haired boy yawned. "Damn! Please send my regards to the king"

I was so engrossed in fright that I did not notice a silver chain had woven around my wrists and my neck, and that the other end was held onto by Natsume.

"Let's go!" he said, not looking at me, but at the ship that was now emerging out of the fog.

It was the same ship I had seen yesterday night.

ooooo

At once, I was led into (I heard him mutter) the Captain's cabin. It was a dimly lit room with dark, disturbing portraits of bloody cherubs, slaughtered animals and ominous children, hanging from the walls – all of which looked increasingly morbid than the other. There were bookcases everywhere, some were so filled that there were mounds of manuscripts and tomes reaching as high as the ceiling. A dirty, old telescope stood on a platform next to a silver globe and a chandelier hung from the ceiling, which was yet another painting, except that of a map that displayed seas and islands, some of which had darts poking at certain destinations. Behind the chandelier was a large, ornate desk on top of which was an oil lamp, several stacks of parchment paper and a tall, slender glass of wine (or at least, I thought so), and sitting by this was Persona, the man I had met back in the lighthouse; though he had no mask to conceal his brilliant violet eyes.

"Hello, Mikan," he said, clasping his hands together, delighted.

I knew I was not safe with this man, but Natsume stood behind me, and for some reason, being with him was much better than being alone with Persona.

"How do you know my name?"

"Why," he gave that deathly shark grin, "Everybody knows your name here on _the Dragon's Sanctum_"

"This doesn't look like a luxury cruise liner to me"

Persona burst out laughing. "Isn't she _humorous_?" he asked Natsume, who seemed to have no expression.

He turned back to me and calmed his face. "Now, my dear, you know what we're asking you so kindly for"

"I do not think threatening to kill me is of _kindly _consent," I retorted.

Persona stood up. He was much taller than he seemed to be the other night. He was dressed in black velveteen robes and had his black, wispy hair pulled back from his face. He caressed my face gently and smiled, even as I winced and pulled away.

"You are a very special girl, did you know that?"

"Thanks for the eulogy," I said, sarcastically, "Now can you take me back home?"

He promptly skimmed back to his armchair. "Highly unlikely," he said, "Not until you return the book"

That was when I lost my patience. I still had no idea what the heck any of them were talking about.

"I don't have the _goddamned _book!"

ooooo

I was thrown into a prison cell with a deep gash (inflicted by the captain himself) on my leg. The pain singed through my muscle and cut through my nerves, and I sobbed in excruciating madness as I ripped part of my shirt and held it against my trembling leg, profusely gushing out red.

I had never felt more alone in my entire life. The prison ward I was trapped in had several other captives, but none of them seemed to have cared that I was bleeding the life out of my body. They simply stared at me with dirty, hungry faces, reaching out to me with their bony hands and speaking in crazy murmurs. I replied to them by begging to be put out of my misery.

I passed out momentarily, when I was suddenly awoken by Natsume bent over my knee, with a bucket of ice and a roll of bandages. He reached for my leg but I instinctively flinched.

"Do you want the pain to stop or not?" he said coldly, "Make up your mind"

I did not trust this boy after I had seen the numerous victims slumped on the deck earlier today, but my body was in pain and I was frantic for aid. I allowed him to hold my leg as he ran ice over it, cooling the heat of the sting and numbing the pain with cold.

"Where am I?" I asked him, after the murmurs of the other prisoners fell silent.

He did not reply, but continued tending to my wound. He took out a vial from his pocket and poured its gluey contents over the gash. I yelped out in pain as I felt a harsh stinging surge through my system. He clamped his hand over my lips and put a finger to his. I was not to speak. Persona would know.

For some reason, Natsume did not seem as dangerous as he did earlier. It was not for the reason that he was currently tending to me, but more of the gentleness in the way his hands spoke as he ran more ice over my wound and then bandaged it up afterwards. I noticed that he had many scars on his neck and on his arms, and assumed that he had been in many battles.

Before he left, he replied with the answer:

"You are in hell"

**To Be Updated**


	3. Chapter 3

**The Dragon's Sanctum**

By Keiko Oda

_Inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean_

_A Gakuen Alice "Pirates" Rendition_

**CHAPTER THREE**

Natsume sat on the figurehead of the ship, a massive, elaborate statuette of a silver scaled dragon. As the boat sailed smoothly with the silky current of the sea, he silently picked at the piece of bread and chewed over the captain's new prisoner – the girl, Mikan – and how they had been searching years on end for this "Mystical Woman" (as the rest of the crew called it) only to find a damsel no more than sixteen or seventeen years old, innocent and naive as a rabbit, but nevertheless beautiful.

He had only been with her for a few moments, but he had already learned by heart every detail of her appearance. She had long, sandy hair that coiled down her shoulders in flimsy tendrils, deep sombre eyes and thick, dark eyelashes that glistened when she wept, and smooth milky skin that he had already touched – but not in the way he wished to, he thought troublingly, for she was weak and wounded and absolutely terrified of him.

And in the end, he thought, what was good in fancying a stranger who it yet to be murdered?

ooooo

As the days progressed, each seemed longer and more terrifying than the next. After Natsume had tended to my wound and I had fallen back to sleep, I woke with a tight blindfold so intricately knotted that it was impossible to disentangle, especially with my mouth and arms bounded just the same. I was only removed of them when a robust, black man would come into the prison ward and give us our sparse meals of bread and dried fish, and then forced back into the bondage afterwards.. I wondered how much longer I was going to be kept in this wet, dirty cell. I was feeling sicker and sicker each day, and I felt like every ounce of strength I had left in my bones were being sucked out by the pain in my leg , that despite having been considerably subdued, still sent out excruciating waves of pain whenever I moved it.

It was doubtless my third day onboard when Natsume returned again. He unlocked my cell and crouched next to me, with the same medical reliefs he had aided me with when I had arrived. He released me and unwrapped my bandage, and I saw that my wound had already scabbed, but had a thick, yellow crust mottled around the wound. I felt sicker as he started peeling it out, slowly but painfully, and I saw that the skin below it had become flawless as it was when I had come on the ship.

"Why do you do this?" I asked him, as he ran more ice over the wound. It was alleviating.

"Don't get any ideas, little girl," he said, "It's the Captain's orders"

I scoffed, finding the idea utterly preposterous. "He _wounds _me and then _heals_ me? Who is he, the Good Samaritan?"

He glowered at me. "Look, kid, I don't know how much brattier you can get, but you should keep your filthy mouth shut! Persona is a ruthless pirate and will cut your heart open if he loses his patience with you"

That honestly frightened me, but I wanted to show him I was not. "Why? What's it to you?"

That was when he lost his temper. He pinned me to the wall; his blood red eyes shooting daggers at me. "You want to be left to die, you insufferable little –

"I'm not scared of you!" I shouted with my voice so shrill that it shook the chains and the cargo in the ward.

He grabbed a dagger from his pocket and pressed it against my cheek. I could feel my skin tearing. "You have no idea what danger you're in every second"

In fear, I shut my eyes. When I opened them again, he was gone. I put my hand to my cheek and realized that he had not harmed me. And when I looked at my leg, my wound had completely vanished.

ooooo

Early that evening, I was expecting the dinner. As I heard the door creak open, I expected it to be the usual man to enter with our rations, but it was not. Instead, someone had come for me. My cell was unbolted, and I presumed it was Natsume once again. But when my blindfold was undone, I found a young girl with long, hair the colour of indigo. I was desperate enough to trust her, for she had a gentle expression in her eyes and undid my bound without force or any hint of evil.

"The Captain wants to have dinner with you tonight, Madame," she said, "You have to look presentable"

"But I don't want to have dinner with him," I replied, with a matter-of-fact tone, and then added, "Don't call me Madame"

She smiled. "My name is Nonoko," she said, "And I'm afraid he might kill both of us if you don't obey his orders"

In spite of the ludicrousness of the situation, I felt at ease with this girl. "Listen, Nonoko-chan, I'm in no position to have dinner right now. Look at me! I'm...grimy!"

"Luckily for you, we will be stopping over at Cape Isakawa. You may bathe there"

I turned bright red. "I...You can't make me take a bath with dozens of pirates just around the corner!"

She caressed my cheek. "Mikan-chan," Nonoko said, gently but with a hint of sadness, "We must survive"

ooooo

In all my years in high school studying Japanese geography, I have never heard of Cape Isakawa. As Nonoko and a few other "maidens" – that's what they call themselves – lead me out of the prison cell, I found a vast island standing before the ship. It was almost nightfall, and the sky had turned into a majestic symphony of violet, orange and yellow, as it beamed over the lush greenery and turquoise waters. The beach was gray and rocky, speckled with driftwood and moss. As we ambled down the ship, none of the crew members were in sight. When I asked Nonoko, she said, "Nobody comes out when Persona is awake"

In spite of the fear of Persona that everybody obviously beheld, I could not bring myself to cower at his feet. He seemed like a joke, and even if it was menacing one, to me he seemed nothing more than a ridiculous man with a ridiculous ambition for power.

As we passed the shore, I was brought to a remote cove that was sparse with light. The cove was surrounded by massive boulders and they assured me that nobody would see me here. A girl named Anna, with fluffy light hair, appeared with a spare change of clothes. They instructed that I was to remain by the shore until they come to fetch me, and when I was begging for them to stay and keep me company (for I did not want to be alone in this strange place), they simply departed solemnly.

Strangely after they had left, my body suddenly felt significantly exhausted and painful. I never realized the gravity of discomfort that I had endured in that shipwreck. I then admitted that a bath would do me well, and I slowly – as I surveyed the surroundings for any peeping toms or wild beasts – I stripped my clothes, and, realizing that the air was bitter and freezing, jumped into the water, relieved to discover that it was of warm currents.

My tired body at once soothed into the sands. As I perched myself on a half-submerged rock, I let the water massage my throbbing bones and weary muscles. Lifting my leg, I was still amazed at how Natsume healed my lesion so speedily. Its skin was smooth and supple, and once could have never guessed that it was viciously injured less than a week prior.

I was no more than ten minutes in my bath when suddenly, my eyes affixed themselves on a dark figure alighted on one of the giant boulders about ten paces from where I sat. I immediately submerged my body in water and gripped the sand in fright. I could not bring myself to move.

Suddenly, the figure emerged from the light and I saw that it was Natsume.

"What are you doing here?" I yelled, feeling more violated than frightened.

"Relax," he said, sliding from the rock and jumping onto the shore. "I'm not here to look at those flatlands"

I crossed my arms over my chest. "You pervert! How dare you dishonour me like this!"

He sat on the sand coolly and took out his sword. It glimmered in the light as he took out a piece of cloth and ran it over the metal. "Persona just told me to keep an eye on you – you know, kill you just in case you decide to swim off with the sharks"

"There are sharks here?" I gasped, still uncomfortable at the fact that a boy was just a few feet from where my naked body bathed.

He rolled his eyes and continued cleaning his weapon. "Tell me the truth, little girl"

"Yes?"

"Do you speak lies when you say that you have no idea about the book?"

I was about to throw my arms in the air in exasperation, only to realize that it would reveal more than I should. "No, I don't. I don't know what any of you are talking about"

Before he could reply, the maidens returned. When they saw Natsume, they stopped in their tracks and started giggling like a bunch of gaggling geese. "H-Hyuuga-sama," they fawned, "What are you doing here?"

Natsume flipped his sword and slid it to his side. He didn't look at any of them, but his eyes lingered at me for a moment. He stood up and disappeared into the trees.

ooooo

I was dressed in an embroidered, white dress with long sleeves that draped below my shoulders. Anna tied a rope-belt around my waist while Sumire, a maiden with dark, curly hair and cat-like eyes, ran a tooth-comb through my hair. They gave me these wooden sandals that were far from comfortable, but I was forced to wear anyway. After they braided my hair, they brought me to a clearing in the jungle where the crew had set camp. There were tall, burning torches surrounding a long, elaborate table with delicious smelling platters lined up on it. Two golden chairs stood on either end of the table, and one of them was occupied by the Captain himself. He was wearing his mask again, but his teeth looked sharper than ever.

As I approached the table, I saw the rest of the crew members peering from atop the trees. They themselves were munching on fruit, staring at me as if I were some deer ready to be consumed by a lion. I had to admit that I truly felt like one once Nonoko pulled back the chair and beckoned me to sit while the rest of the maidens lifted the tops of the platters, revealing all these mouth-watering dishes: smoked ham glazed in honey-nut syrup, stuffed lamb and roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy, an enormous bowl of salad and exotic looking fruits. I wanted to stuff every plate into my mouth, but I resisted, knowing that Persona had other plans in mind.

But he said, "Eat! Feast on this magnanimous meal concocted just for you!"

The servants quickly filled my plate and stared at me expectantly as I, resisting the urge to glance at the plate, took my fork and stabbed a piece of sirloin. "I'm not convinced," I said defiantly.

Even though I was starving, I pushed my plate back. The maidens gasped in horror.

"_I'm_ not convinced," Persona laughed, "I purposely starved you for days just so you can enjoy dinner with me" His voice mocked affection.

"If that's your strategy in getting a woman, mister, I'm not surprised you're still single!"

Persona forced a laugh and beckoned Anna to serve him. She responded quickly and soon enough, he was eating heartily from his plate. I stared at him hungrily.

"Will you just eat?"

I stared at my fork, where the chunk of meat was still stabbed through it. I bit into it. It was tender and delicious.

"Delicious, isn't it?"

Silence

"You see, Mikan – er, Sakura-san," he continued, when I shot him death-glares, "You have something that I really, _really_ need"

"I know. The book. I've heard it ten trillion times" I stared at the goblet in front of me and decided it was not safe to drink whatever wine they served.

He swallowed a chunk of ham and pointed his fork at me jokingly. "My dear, you do not know what you are toying with. If you hand over the book, then I will release you right here and right now! If you want, I will even call Captain Nogi and tell him to fetch you. The government," He laughed at this, "Offers quite a bounty of wealth for those that need to be protected"

"I don't need to be protected. I don't need any of your offers!"

Without warning, Persona leaped from the other end of the table and tore through the plates and silverware. In seconds he was an inch away from my faith, and I could feel his sword against my chest.

"_I am done with playing your little game of bravery,"_ he said, his voice turning serpentine. He pushed my chair back and I immediately fell onto the ground. He pressed his boot against my neck and as my yelps were drowned out by my loss of breath, he rammed his sword through the fabric of my dress. It did not go any deeper than my skin, but he carved something onto my chest. As I felt the blood trickle out, he spoke once more, _"you will tell me now, will you? I will end your misery"_

All of a sudden, his attention was averted and he turned around, threatening his sword at somebody else. As I sat up, I saw that it was Natsume.

"_You threaten your own Captain, you imbecile?" _

"She's telling the truth!" Natsume spoke up.

Persona's grinned widened as he stopped and put his sword down. "You fancy this little whore, don't you?"

When Natsume did not reply, Persona lifted his sword and sliced through his shirt, revealing dozens of scars imprinted on Natsume's body. He pushed Natsume against a tree and in seconds, had his sword slicing his shoulder blade. Natsume winced in pain but thrust his leg onto Persona's chest and kicked him down. Persona fell onto his knees and lifted his sword to strike Natsume again a second time. But he was too quick. It was the second time I had seen that sword of his turn blood crimson, and Natsume forced his weapon onto the ground. Persona shouted something, but the entire camp had already burst into the dark, voracious flames. The entire crew was now retreating and screaming in panic. Persona stood up and stabbed Natsume, cutting open his stomach and twisting the weapon as he did so. As Natsume's eyes widened in pain, he sank to his knees while Persona pulled out his sword, which was now soaked in blood. He now turned to me, who was crawled up by a tree trunk and sobbing at the horror I had just witnessed. Persona removed his mask, his eyes glistening in the dark light of the flames that was engulfing the wood.

My mind was turning numb with the smell of burning metal and wood. As I felt a sharp piecing pain knife through my body, I blacked out in a heartbeat.

**To Be Updated**


End file.
